New Automotive Innovation
and Growth Team (NAIGT) report sets out future direction of UK
automotive sector
DEPARTMENT FOR
BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND REGULATORY REFORM News Release (2009/146)
issued by COI News Distribution Service on 6 May 2009
ISSUED ON BEHALF
OF THE NEW AUTOMOTIVE INNOVATION & GROWTH TEAM
The industry-led NAIGT chaired by Richard Parry-Jones today
published its report setting out its 20 year vision for the
automotive industry and its recommendations to Government and
industry to achieve this.
Key among these recommendations are proposals to:
Establish a joint industry/government Automotive Council to
develop, guide and implement a long term strategic framework for
the industry; and
Focus the UK R&D agenda around a new industry-consensus
technology roadmap, and as part of this establish "Test Bed
UK" a bold, large scale pilot to develop, demonstrate and
build the new low-carbon personal transportation system including
its infrastructure
Supporting these two key areas of work are a series of
recommendations focused on:
* Creating a transformed business environment in the UK to
provide a more compelling investment proposition versus other countries;
* Agreeing on the technology roadmaps for low carbon vehicles and
fuels and exploiting opportunities to promote the UK as a strong
candidate to develop these and other technologies; and
* Developing a stronger and more competitive supply chain through
joint research on focussed areas, skills development and the
enhancement and brokering of collaboration opportunities for
achieving effective scale in R&D and core technology components
The NAIGT vision for the automotive industry in the UK is:
'A competitive, growing, and dynamic industry making a large
and increasing contribution to employment and prosperity in the
UK, and playing a decisive global role in developing and
manufacturing exciting, low carbon vehicle transportation solutions'
While the current economic downturn has of course had a very
significant impact on the industry globally, the NAIGT concluded
at an early stage that it would be wrong to focus only on the
short term. There will always be a demand for personal and road
freight transport and therefore always a need for an automotive
industry. The industry also represents a key and successful part
of the UK manufacturing base.
Richard Parry-Jones said:
"The auto sector in the UK has transformed itself into a
world-class industry, with superb design and engineering skills,
very high productivity, product reliability that rivals the best
in the world, and flexible, constructive labour relations. This
report is a significant step towards achieving the NAIGT's
ambition of ensuring that the industry in the UK can play a
decisive global role in developing and manufacturing exciting, low
carbon vehicles for the future."
Economics and Business Minister Ian Pearson said:
"I welcome the publication of this report and would like to
thank all involved from the automotive industry, academia and the
wider stakeholder community for their substantial contribution to
this project. The NAIGT rightly emphasises the importance of the
Automotive Industry to the UK manufacturing Sector and the wider
economy. It also recognises that to secure this position for the
long term, the UK needs to become a leading global player in the
development of low carbon transport.
On 16 April we launched the Government's vision to promote
ultra low carbon transport over the next five years, to which the
NAIGT made an important contribution.
I also see merit in the proposed establishment of an
industry/Government Automotive Council to develop an agreed long
term strategy for the industry. However, further consultation on
this and the other more detailed recommendations in the report is
needed before the Government can give a formal response. "
Notes to editors
1. The New Automotive Innovation and Growth Team (NAIGT), was
launched in April 2008 to facilitate a collective strategic view
from the industry of the innovation and growth challenges that it
faces. It is an industry-led project facilitated by BERR's
Automotive Unit.
2. The NAIGT consists of senior representatives of the UK
automotive sector.
3. The full NAIGT report is available at: http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file51139.pdf
4. A supporting report 'The Competitive Status of the UK
Automotive Industry' by Matthias Holweg, University of
Cambridge sets out detailed background information that informed
the work of the NAIGT. This is available at: www-innovation.jbs.cam.ac.uk/publications/reports.html
5. Chair Richard Parry-Jones CBE was, until December 2007, the
Group Vice President and Chief Technical Officer, Ford Motor
Company. Richard is an elected member of the Royal Academy of
Engineers and the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Richard was
awarded a CBE in The Queens New Year Honours List 2005 for
services to the automotive industry.
6. The NAIGT will continue to meet to oversee the development /
implementation of its proposals pending the establishment of the
proposed Automotive Council. Should that recommendation be
accepted by Government, the first meeting is expected to take
place in early Autumn 2009.
7. The Government will aim to provide a formal response to the
Report before the summer Parliamentary recess. This work will be
led by the Automotive Unit within BERR.
Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory
Reform
7th Floor, 1 Victoria Street, London SW1H 0ET
Public enquiries +44 (0)20 7215 5000
Textphone +44 (0)20 7215
6740 (for those with hearing impairment)
http://www.berr.gov.uk